Recent key achievements

The Portuguese EU Council Presidency (July-December 2007)

The Health program of the Portuguese Presidency focused on the topic of health and migration. The selection of this topic reflects the importance politicians place on assuring best quality healthcare, a service that touches the lives of every single EU citizen, as well as newcomers.

The Portuguese Presidency concentrated on three major areas:

• The fight against major communicable diseases
• Health determinants in relationship to non-communicable diseases
• The barriers to health services existing in Europe

Roundtable on health strategies in the European Union - The place of cancer

In addition to the Portuguese Presidency’s ministerial meetings, technical initiatives took place.

One such initiative, called the ‘Round Table on Health Strategies in the European Union’ ( Lisbon, 12-13 July 2007), was organized in close collaboration with ESMO for those agenda topics related to cancer issues. The ESMO Foundation provided the financial support for this key European meeting.

Under the broad theme of creating a ‘European Health Strategy’, this round table addressed crucial issues in terms of the EU health agenda (strategies to face specific health problems, health determinants, health services, patient mobility, centers of reference, etc.).

ESMO and the Portuguese Presidency considered this event a tangible means to send a strong political signal for a broad alliance and concerted actions for the benefit of patients in Europe and worldwide.

The Portuguese representatives, ESMO, the experts and the key forces gathered in Lisbon have called upon the European institutions to put cancer on the political agenda as a priority and the national governments to develop policies including a strategy for prevention and control of cancer. The interactive format of the meeting, its connections with other specific and global issues under discussion have guaranteed the high value of the contribution to the global debate on cancer and health in Europe and permitted the adoption of Recommendations.

They focused on three main instruments

• Comprehensive cancer control plans consisting of a variety of activities and strategic approaches built on large coalitions and relying on an approach involving various sectors
• Population-based cancer registries
• Screening programs

ESMO will support the implementation of these recommendations at national level. It will also continue to support the efforts to make this initiative a determinant momentum in the fight against cancer in Europe and the first step towards the recognition by European authorities of these recommendations.

It is the role of the ESMO Foundation to provide the funds to support ESMO implement the above recommendations.

Cancer patients Advocacy Forum (November 2007)

In support of patient advocacy groups and to ensure optimal care for cancer patients, ESMO was delighted to host the society’s first Cancer Patient Advocacy Forum, 26-27 November 2007, Brussels, Belgium.

This first-of-a-kind forum, organized under the direction of the ESMO Cancer Patient Working Group (CPWG), brought together international cancer patient groups and associations to encourage exchange of best practices, facilitate network building and to provide the skills and techniques needed to develop and implement effective advocacy strategies.

The CPWG Chair, Prof. Heinz Ludwig, has stressed unfailingly the need for constant improvement in the quality of cancer treatment and care, not only from the perspective of research and education, but also from that of the patients themselves. By providing a platform for participants, many of whom were patients, to discuss shared issues seen from different perspectives and to come up with standard action plans essential for success, the ESMO Cancer Patient Advocacy Forum addressed the skills needed to fight for patient rights, to reduce treatment inequalities and to undertake successful lobbying campaigns for improved healthcare systems.

Spokespersons of major advocacy groups in Europe had the chance to voice patient needs directly to representatives of the political arena, who in turn were called upon to give precise guidelines on the necessary steps for advocates to voice their message.

An indisputable fact is that partnerships are exceedingly important. Patients need not only work amongst themselves to establish successful groups, but also know how to collaborate with the pharmaceutical industry whilst at the same time maintaining vital ethical integrity. A session dedicated to this topic stimulated interesting discussion between the panel and participants, concluding that it is everyone’s interests to move forwards together.

Media relations – ways to draw attention and make positive use of publicity opportunities - and practical tools on developing strategies in government relations - what and what not to do when addressing policy makers – were also scheduled during the Forum in two concluding workshops. The first highlighted that as well as a lot of work, there is also some fun to be had along the path to achieving one’s goals.

Following the success of the first Cancer Patient Advocacy Forum, another is forecast in 2009, dates to be announced.

The first ESMO Cancer Patient Advocacy Forum was made possible by unrestricted educational grants from Roche (founding sponsor), Novartis (major sponsor and travel grant provider), Amgen (supporter) and PharmaMar (supporter).

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